Hello again, my dear readers! We're back and ready for another chapter. Got a bit of a mixed reaction to the last chapter. Hopefully this one will be a bit more up to standard. I do hate to disappoint and there's always room to improve. Anywho, time to finally resolve our little issue between our dear Bell and Aiz, so off we go.
I do not own Danmachi
Achilles sat next to Bell's bed, smoking.
He had been there for hours, his eyes screaming bloody murder, doing nothing more than smoking his pipe and occasionally calming his son whenever he began to fidget in his sleep, often with a muttering of the name "Aiz",
Naturally, this did not please him in any way shape or form and it was a borderline miracle that he had not bitten through his pipe at this point given the number of times his jaw had clenched.
His mind was turned away from his rage for a moment when Bell began to move about again, his face scrunched in pain.
"It's okay, Bell. It's okay," Achilles soothed, his hand stroking his son's head.
Bell began to calm down, but once more uttered out.
"Aiz...please."
Once more, rage filled the newly minted father.
"You'd better have a damn good excuse, Sword Princess."
Aiz had barely slept. Indeed, if Riveria had not ordered her to do so, she wouldn't have slept at all as what she had unintentionally done to Bell weighed on her mind. However, when the sun finally peaked through her windows signally a new day had finally arrived, she burst out of her room and ran immediately to Riveria.
She arrived at the elf's room, and was prepared to knock, when the door suddenly opened, revealing a very much awake and dressed Riveria.
"I thought you'd want to leave as early as possible."
Surprised, Aiz still managed to respond with a resolute nod.
"Alright, let's go get the others, we'll need their support if we're to get through Bell's familia and Achilles. Luckily, I warned them last night of your desire to apologize to Bell as soon as possible, so with any luck, they'll be awake."
Aiz nodded, and the two made their way through their home to gather the others, however, this proved unnecessary as they soon discovered all the others had already gathered. Even more interestingly, Shakti was also present.
"Figured 'as soon as possible' meant crack of dawn," Finn said with a smile. "And before you ask, I asked Shakti to accompany us to give more credence to the events of last night and restrain Achilles," he explained.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," Aiz said with a bow.
"You don't need to apologize, Aiz-san. I needed to go get Achilles anyway so that he could speak with Ouranos-sama. Besides, as the captain of the Ganesha familia, I am quite used to late nights and early mornings," Shakti said with a smile.
"Still would have been nice to get a little more sleep," Bete complained.
"I'm sorry," Aiz apologized again.
"Oh, enough of that, I don't think anyone here is mad at you or doesn't completely understand why you did what you did," Gareth stated, getting nods from almost everyone. "That said, I think it's time we head off. The longer this has to simmer, the bigger the issue will be," Gareth said.
"I agree. No need to wait until Achilles boils over and decides, this time, to create a storm over the whole city."
Everyone nodded, the younger Loki members with notable vigor as the idea of Achilles creating a storm did not sit well with them.
With that, they departed Twilight Manor for the Hestia familia and a certain white-haired rabbit.
"Please see reason, Achilles," Riveria pleaded.
They made their way through the nearly empty city streets. This was slightly disconcerting given that, even at this early hour, there was usually more activity. It did not take long for any of them to realize that this likely had to do with all the events of yesterday.
"They're scared," Lefiya said out loud.
"It's hard to blame them. The city has seen more serious and chaotic action in the last few weeks then it had seen for years previous, and that's if we're being kind or foolish enough to forget the numerous other major incidents over the last few months. Freya's invasion of the Pleasure District and annihilation of Ishtar familia; yet another invasion by Ares; and the monsters that got loose in the city. They have every right to be concerned. As such we must make sure that this meeting goes well, not only for our sake, but for Orario," Riveria stated.
Everyone nodded, understanding fully how important what was about to happen truly was.
Finally, the Loki familia caught sight of the Hearthfire Manor and, with even more tense steps, they made their way the rest of the way until, finally, they arrived.
Taking a deep breath, Riveria rang the gate bell and waited.
Seconds ticked by, everyone growing more nervous with each one that passed, until a familiar voice answered.
"Hello?" Haruhime greeted.
Thankful that it was the renard, Riveria answered.
"Hello Haruhime-san. It's Riveria. I am here with the rest of my familia and Shakti from the Ganesha familia. We hoped we would be able to speak with Bell."
Things fell silent, a fact that did not sit well with any of them.
"I don't think that would be a good idea."
Riveria's eyes widened.
"Haruhime-san, I understand that you all must be quite upset, but I swear that there is a perfectly good explanation for what transpired last night. All we need to do is come inside and tell Bell directly."
"I want to believe you, Riveria-san," Haruhime said, her voice holding what Riveria soon realized was the closest thing to hostility the girl was capable of. "But Achilles explained things to us last night. If what he said was true then I'm not sure I can, in good conscience, let you inside."
"Haruhime-san, last night, a grave mistake was made. I admit that and take full responsibility, but that mistake can only be fixed if we are allowed to speak to Bell," Riveria pleaded.
Things fell silent again with everyone wondering if the fox girl had simply walked away, before her voice called out again.
"Wallenstein-san."
Aiz jumped.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Did you hurt Bell-sama?"
Pain and heartache filled every inch of Aiz's features as the knowledge of what she had unintentionally done dragged down her very soul.
"Yes," she confessed. "Though that is the last thing I would ever wish to do."
"Aiz," her familia thought as they looked at their tormented comrade.
"I see," Haruhime stated before things fell silent again.
They all waited, hoping this was not the end, but knowing that, short of forcing themselves in, which would not have been wise, there was little they could do if the renard decided to refuse them entry.
"Do you promise that this explanation will fix the issue and take away Bell-sama's pain?" she suddenly asked.
Relief and hope filled the Loki familia plus one and Aiz could not respond fast enough.
"Yes. I swear I will fix this. No matter what," she all but cried out.
"Very well," Haruhime said. "You may enter, but be warned, no one will be happy to see you and Achilles is in a mood that I don't think words could ever properly describe."
"Noted," Riveria said.
Relieved that the first hurdle had been completed, a few of the Loki familia let out the breath they had been holding before they all, plus Shakti, made their way to through the now opened gate, towards the entrance of Hearthfire Manor.
The moment they arrived at the doors, they opened, revealing an unsmiling Haruhime.
"Please come in," she said as politely as she could.
"Thank you," Riveria said as she and the others entered, doing her absolute best to prevent any even possibility of offense.
"Please wait here. I will gather the others. Please be prepared for them," the renard princess stated, receiving a few nods, before departing to gather the Hestia familia.
"Well, we made it through the front door," Finn said. Whether this was meant to be humorous in order to alleviate some of the tension is impossible to know given the tone failed to any sort of playfulness.
"Indeed," Riveria said.
Everyone was a bit tense as they waited for the Hestia familia to appear. Luckily they did not have to wait long as Hestia, Lili, Welf, Mikoto, and Ryuu soon appeared.
There was no questioning the hostility in each of their eyes. It mattered little that all those before them were allies as the pain of their captain was enough for every member of the Hestia familia to go to war with those before them, odds be damned, and every member of Loki familia knew this.
"Haruhime has informed us that you have come here to explain what happened last night," Hestia said, her voice so cold and unwelcoming her very eyes had changed from their usual sapphire blue to pale ice blue.
"Yes, as well as apologize for the misunderstanding," Riveria stated.
"It better be a damn good one."
Everyone turned their eyes and froze as the sight of the terrible embodiment of fury that was Achilles Caesar appeared before them alongside Haruhime, who took her place next to the rest of her familia. The only exception was Bete, who nearly choked as the suffocating smell of smoke overpowered his nose and almost made him vomit.
"And I mean both the misunderstanding and the apology," the ex-captain continued. "Else this conversation is going to be very short, yet end very loudly."
No one had any words for that and Riveria only managed to nod her head before asking the all important question.
"May we speak to Bell?"
Achilles made no reply, instead doing nothing more than to stare down at them long enough to make them sweat, before turning his eyes just enough to see Hestia. She, in turn, gave him a single nod. With that, he turned and walked away. Less than a minute later, the unwitting origin of all this fear and anger appeared.
"What's going on?" Bell asked, his voice tired and his eyes more red than usual. No one needed an explanation as to why this was. However, had they needed one, it was made completely transparent as Bell's eyes moved across the guests and finally landed on Aiz. The moment they did, his eyes widened and he began to noticeably shake, a fact that broke numerous hearts in the room, including Aiz's own. This, in turn, caused the hostility in the room to grow even further, and caused Achilles's grip on his sword to tighten to such an extent the skin around his knuckles began to tear and blood to slip through the cracks.
"It appears Aiz Wallenstein has something she wishes to say to you," Achilles said.
Bell's eyes shot to his father, his eyes devoid of the usual nervousness, excitement, and hope such a statement would normally have inspired, being replaced by a fear so deep that it actually stopped Achilles's heart for a moment.
In spite of this fear, Bell turned back to Aiz and, after a moment, began to make his way towards her.
"G-Good morning A-Aiz-san," he said, his voice shaking. "W-What did…" his voice caught. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
Aiz found herself unable to speak. The way Bell had spoken. The misery. The fear. Normally it would have troubled her greatly to see him like this, but to know that she was the cause of it choked her to the point she could literally not speak. Naturally, her silence in response to his question did absolutely nothing to help with the situation, and her familia began to eye her ever more nervously, while the Hestia familia and Achilles eyed her with a somehow ever greater rage. Luckily, a mother knows when to step in.
"Aiz." The golden child turned to find Riveria next to her, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Just take a deep breath and say what you want to say," the tender elf said.
Soothed and, after a deep breath, in control of both her heart and her voice again, Aiz nodded and turned back to Bell.
Bell felt his breath catch as he met the Sword Princess's resolute eyes. However, he had but a moment to take them in before she bowed so deeply that she all but folded herself in half.
"I am very sorry for the hurt I have caused you due to the misunderstanding I created and beg your forgiveness!" she all but cried out.
Bell's mouth fell open as this was not what he had expected and had no idea what was going on.
"W-What are you apologizing for?" he asked.
Still in a bow, Aiz explained.
"Last night, when I left you and the others outside the Pleasure District, it was not because I, in any way, thought negatively of you. In fact, just the opposite. I was so angered by what you had told us that I departed in search of Phryne Jamil and, upon finding her, challenged her to combat."
The moment those words parted her lips, all the hostility of the Hestia familia, along with the pain radiating off of Bell, disappeared.
"You...you went to fight her?" the young man asked.
Noticing the change in his voice, Aiz finally looked up.
"Yes. To punish her for what she did to you. I…" her face contorted in pain and anger. "I couldn't let what she did, stand."
Bell was reeling. Last night he had felt utterly shattered after Aiz leapt away. The idea that she was disgusted by him had made his heart feel as if it had been ripped out and crushed before his eyes. But now, here she was, the girl who held his heart, saying not only did she not feel disgusted by him, but that, in fact, she had been so disgusted, so enraged by his treatment, that she sought out the offender to punish her. The relief he felt by that knowledge was something he would never be able to put into words, matched only by, if he dared admit it to himself, the giddiness at knowing how much Aiz evidently cared about him.
As all this emotion set in, Shakti stepped forward.
"I can confirm that this is all true," she said. "Last night my familia apprehended Wallenstein-san and Jamil-san in the main square, alongside Ottar who had intervened. After bringing them all to Ouranos-sama himself, the truth was revealed and the issue resolved."
The Hestia familia was unsure how to react. True, they no longer felt rage at Aiz, but that didn't mean they really knew what to do with this new information.
Luckily for them, Achilles decided to act and made his way over to his son.
"Bell." The young captain turned to him, his eyes shining with hope and joy. "Do you accept Aiz Wallenstein's apology?"
Bell smiled brightly.
"There's nothing to apologize for. She didn't do anything wrong. At least not to me."
Complete relief finally washed over the Loki familia, none more so than Aiz, who finally stood up straight and, seeing Bell's smiling face beaming at her, suddenly threw herself around him in a hug.
Hestia, Lili, and Ryuu were, of course, not pleased by the sight, but did not intervene. Welf, Mikoto, and Haruhime, meanwhile, smiled as they too felt relief fill them as their captain's pain was burned away into nothing.
Seeing the two hug, Achilles finally took his pipe out of his mouth, brought his other hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, and sighed.
Suddenly, the pipe in Achilles's hand shattered into splinters, snapping everyone out of their pleased or, hug-induced angry stupors.
Everyone snapped their attention to the former captain as another sigh passed his lips.
"I know I am the last person who is allowed to say this, and you are all completely free to call me a hypocrite, as I will definitely be one, but," he looked at Aiz. "Please think before you act."
Riveria, Finn, Gareth, Welf, and Haruhime all chuckled and giggled at that, while a few annoyed snorts were heard from a certain werewolf and red-headed elf. Bell and Aiz however, who had not pulled away from their hug mind you, simply smiled, with the blonde maiden adding a nod.
"I will do that," she said.
"Good," said the now obviously exhausted Zeus familia leader. "Then, there's not really an issue. Now," he said, holding up the ruins of his pipe. "I need to go replace this, so if you'll all excuse me."
Achilles made his way to the door, passing by the relieved and smiling faces of the Loki familia, stopping a moment to look at Riveria, who smiled at him, though he was too mentally exhausted to return it.
"Pardon me, Achilles-san," Shakti said, stepping forward. "While I'm glad that everything here has worked out for the best, I must ask you to come with me. Ouranos-sama has asked that I bring you to him so that you could explain what happened last night with the lightning over the Pleasure District."
Achilles sighed again as his head fell.
"Can it wait? I'm not the kind of person who can go from blinding rage to completely tranquil in a few seconds and smoking helps me keep calm," he said.
"Well, I suppose so, but please don't be long, I don't like the idea of keeping Ouranos-sama waiting," Shakti responded.
"Will do. And thank you," Achilles said, giving her the biggest smile he could muster at the moment, which meant it was barely a smirk.
Bell watched this entire exchange from over Aiz's shoulder, having still not pulled away from the Sword Princess, when his eye caught sight of Riveria and an idea popped into his head.
Finally pulling away from Aiz he quickly made his way over to Riveria and tugged her sleeve causing her to turn to him.
"What is it, Bell?" the elf asked.
"Go after him," he whispered.
She was confused for a moment, but soon realized what he meant, which in turn caused her cheeks to begin to heat up.
"Take this chance," Bell pushed, not willing to let her try and deny the opportunity. "Follow him."
Embarrassed though she was by Bell's pushing, and by the feeling of eyes suddenly upon them, Riveria knew both that he wasn't going to take no for an answer and that he was right. This was a chance.
"Wait Achilles."
Achilles, with his hand on the door, turned around.
"What is it?"
"I'll come with you. Someone has to make sure you don't electrocute someone for stepping on your foot."
"Subtle," Finn thought as he and a few others chuckled.
Riveria, knowing this was a poor excuse, was fully prepared to accept any push back from Achilles, but was surprised when she found him not only not immediately countering her, but instead simply staring at her with tired eyes.
"You're not going to dispute that?" she asked.
"No," he replied instantly. "As I said, I'm not the kind of person that can go from burning rage to complete tranquility in a moment and I fully admit that it's entirely possible for me to explode on someone who doesn't deserve it at the moment. As such, having you come along is not a bad idea."
Silently stunned, Riveria nonetheless was pleased by the ease of which he accepted her tagging along and soon smiled.
"Then let's be off."
Achilles nodded.
"I'll be back soon," he called, managing a wave before turning back around and opening the door.
"Have fun," Finn called, the teasing tone he was using not being lost on Riveria who gave him a quick glare before following after Achilles.
The two now gone, those within the Hestia familia home who were not privy to Riveria's feelings, began to ask questions.
"What the heck was that?" Tiona asked, Tione and Lefiya joining her in looking between those who seemed to know something they didn't.
"Something smells fishy," Bete added.
Bell suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Aiz looking at him with a confused expression.
"Bell, what's going on?" she asked.
"Well…" Bell turned his eyes to his familia, who shrugged. "It's not really my place to say, but then again, maybe you guys can help."
"Help with what?" Aiz questioned.
"With...um...Riveria...and my dad."
Achilles and Riveria walked through the streets of Orario on their way to the shop Achilles had in mind to replace his pipe. Well, 'walk' wasn't quite the right word for either of them. Riveria, with the grace befitting both her status as an adventurer as well as being amongst the royalty of the high elves, strode down the street. Achilles, however, was by no means graceful. Given his mental strain and the physical exhaustion now hitting him, he more dragged or trudge along like a beast of burden. A starving, sleep-deprived beast of burden. This, naturally, was not lost on Riveria, who, both because she didn't like seeing her friend in this state and because this was effectively a mission to bring her closer to the man she loved, decided to act.
"Achilles, stop."
He did as requested, before turning to her.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice sounding even more exhausted than it had at the house.
"Wait here," she said.
Before he could inquire as to why, she strode off towards a nearby building. Not knowing what else to do, he waited as patiently as he could, desperately wishing, with each passing second, he had his pipe.
A few minutes later, Riveria returned with a bag in her hand.
"Here," she said, pulling out a muffin and a drink. "Eat and drink this. Both will help with the exhaustion and your mood."
"I must really look like shit if you're getting me these," he joked.
Riveria gave him a small smile.
"You look like a father who spent all night worried about his son," she returned.
He stared at her for a moment, his tired eyes boring into her tender ones, before sighing, rubbing his face, and taking the items from her.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome."
The two continued on their way, Achilles slowly eating and drinking and regaining some of his vigor until he no longer looked like he was about to fall over.
"Thank you," he repeated, once he was finished.
"You're very welcome, I'm glad to see you looking better," she replied.
"If I looked half as bad as I felt I must have appeared quite abhorrent."
She chuckled.
"Tired. Not abhorrent. Hopefully, after we run this errand and you speak to Ouranos, you'll be able to get some sleep."
He nodded.
"And apologize to your Aiz."
That caught Riveria by surprise.
"Why would you need to apologize to her?"
"Because I thought the worst of her. Because I held not an ounce of charitable interpretation to her actions when she left us outside the Pleasure District. Worse, I was fully prepared to punish her, and do so severely, for the intentions I bestowed upon her."
Riveria was almost beaming after hearing this, happy that such a shift in perception had occurred.
"I don't think you need to apologize. Aiz herself, once she realized what she had unintentionally done, had felt awful. Indeed, I and the others thought the same as you did. We weren't so angry about it of course, but we were shocked. As such, though I appreciate the sentiment, I don't think it's necessary."
"Still, I can't go on like this."
Riveria's brow scrunched, but before she could ask what he meant by that, they finally arrived at the shop they had been aiming for and Achilles walked inside.
A few minutes later, the two exited, Achilles with his new pipe in hand, quickly working to get it alight and place it in his mouth.
Upon completing the task, he took a deep breath and then slowly let it out, the tension from his shoulders disappearing and his head dropping as he finally calmed down.
"That's better," he said.
Riveria smiled softly, but after a moment, decided to ask the question that had arose shortly earlier.
"Achilles, what did you mean by-."
"'I can't go on like this'?" he finished, looking up.
"Well…yes," Riveria admitted.
Achilles took another deep breath of his pipe and released a long stream of smoke before finally answering.
"I'm angry, Riveria," he began. "No, not angry. Furious. Frustrated. Enraged. Bitter. All. The damn. Time," he took another breath. "I didn't used to be like this. You remember how I used to be. Nothing got to me. My smiles were easy. I was energetic, bouncy even. Like my lightning flowed through my very veins, energizing me with a limitless supply."
Riveria did remember that. The way he used to move around, almost like a child. Dancing. Starting friendly fights and spars. Playing the piano with such passion and vigor it could pull anyone in with its rhythm and joy.
"You were quite energetic," she conceded.
"I was optimistic," he said. "I loved life. I loved people. I loved to do things. Anything. Everything!" he shouted, throwing his arms up. "Everything was an adventure. A new adventurer needed some tips or training? I was your guy. Someone was throwing a party? I was there to keep things moving. I'd like to think I was never irresponsible with my duties but…" his face fell and his demeanor filled with misery. "Then I lost everyone. Or...almost everyone," he gave her a sad smile. "And...I fled. I ran to the ends of the earth and in doing so...I think I lost myself along the way. And…" he paused, and Riveria noticed the way his jaw clenched around the pipe and his knuckles turned white. "I don't like who I've become."
Fear entered Riveria's heart.
"Achilles."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he quickly said. "It's just…when I look back on who I used to be and then compare it to who I am now I'm so...disappointed? Disgusted? I'm not sure."
"What could you be disappointed or disgusted with? You're Achilles Caesar. The first person to reach level seven. One of the greatest adventurers Orario has ever seen. A man of principle and honor, and who is showing himself to be a wonderful father," she stated firmly.
"An angry father," he quickly countered.
"Defensive," she returned back.
"Riveria," he took his pipe out of his mouth and leaned against the wall of the building. "I know I'm not a good man. For the love of the gods, I threatened your familia with destruction because I was pissed. You, Finn, Gareth, people I call my friends. That's monstrous! I know it. You know it. A brain-dead goblin would know it. I've lost myself. I've lost my spark. My optimism. My joy. I've become bitter. Miserable. Even hateful. Was I ever hateful to anyone twenty years ago? Would any of those words have been used to describe me?"
Riveria sighed.
"No," she admitted.
"No," he affirmed. "I'm not the person I used to be and I don't like this version of myself. I want to get my old self back. I want the energy. The optimism. The carefree nature. The joy. Gods the joy," he smacked his head against the wall. "I miss being able to smile easily."
Things fell silent. Achilles had no more to say, at least no more that he wished to bother Riveria with, and Riveria wasn't quite sure how to respond. Here was one of her oldest friends, the man she could now admit she loved, lost and in pain. She needed to help him. To ease his pain. To bring him back.
"Then I will help you."
He turned to her and chuckled bitterly.
"I'm not sure I can be helped."
"Well I know that's not true," she said, going up to him. "I've seen you with Bell. Seen the joy and easiness of which you smile in his presence. Your old self isn't gone, he just needs to be encouraged to come back."
Achilles allowed himself a smile at that.
"You really think he can come back?"
Riveria smiled back and took his hands in hers.
"I know you can come back," she said without a shred of doubt.
He was about to laugh at her optimism, when his mind brought forward two things. One: that Riveria was holding his hands and doing so in a way that could only be described as tenderly or perhaps, affectionately. And two: her choice of words.
"Come back."
"The only person that should be thanked is this woman for allowing you to come back to me."
"Come back to me."
Riveria was a bit confused when Achilles's brow suddenly scrunched in thought and his eyes began to bore into her with an unknown intensity.
"Riveria, what am I missing?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, quite confused by the sudden shift.
"This is the second time you've said something like that, and the first time you ran from me afterwards. There's something I'm missing and I want to know what it is."
It took a moment for her to realize what he meant, but when she did, her face burst with color as every inch of her skin from her neck to the tips of her ears, turned red.
Following instinct, she turned to flee, only to find herself with a firm grip on her shoulder, pulling her back, spinning her around, and pushing her up against the wall.
"Oh no you don't. No running this time," Achilles said firmly.
"A-Achilles, l-let me go," she said, trying to sound firm, but finding her voice far too shaky for that.
"Not until you tell me what I'm missing."
She didn't want to answer, or...perhaps she did, but she couldn't. She wasn't ready to.
"Achilles...please…" she voice trailing off as she turned away.
Her breath hitched as she felt his hands on her cheeks and found them turning her face until he could place his forehead against hers, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
"Riveria. Help me to understand," he said gently.
Her face was practically on fire now.
"He has to be doing this on purpose," she thought as she stared into his eyes.
His gaze was so gentle. He wasn't doing this to be cruel, nor to pry. He just wanted to understand. To help; and knowing that made her fall even deeper in love with him.
"He's really not so different from who he was deep down," she thought, her heart swelling in contentment, even as it threatened to hammer out of her chest.
"Riveria," he said again, pulling her back to him. "What am I missing?"
Her heart yearned to tell him. It cried out for her to tell. Begging and pleading with her as it tried to convince her, telling her of the wonderful outcome that was sure to come. However, she was not ready, and so, for now, her heart was silenced.
Placing her hands on his, she pulled back and gave him a smile.
"I want to tell you. Truly I do. But I'm not ready. Not yet," she said, looking into his eyes. "But I will be soon," she vowed.
"And if you keep acting like this, it'll be very soon," she admitted to herself.
A tint of disappointment entered Achilles's eyes. She knew he wanted answers. Wanted to understand what he didn't know, but for now, he would have to be patient.
"Soon for me or soon for an immortal elf princess?"
She laughed.
"Soon for the both of us."
Still a bit disappointed, he nonetheless nodded and pulled back.
"Alright," he said, placing his pipe back in his mouth. "I'll wait. For now," he said, letting the threat hang in the air.
She laughed again.
"Thank you."
The two started their journey back. Initially it was quiet and peaceful, with both of them content to simply share in each other's company. However, as they made their way down one of Orario's many streets, Achilles piped up.
"Don't think I've given up on my girl."
Turning to him, Riveria's eyes asked her question.
"This revelation will likely put Aiz on an even greater pedestal in Bell's eyes than before," Achilles explained. "Not only does she not think poorly of him, returning her to her previous position of affection, but she fought for him, elevating her in his eyes, I have no doubt."
"Ah," Riveria said, now understanding.
"However, my girl is the one who saved him in the first place, which means I'm all the more dedicated to ensuring she ends up with Bell," Achilles continued resolutely.
"Haruhime." Achilles turned to her. "She's the one who saved him. That's who you want him to be with?"
"So you figured it out? Yeah, that's my girl. Hestia familia's resident fox princess, which sounds better than Sword Princess."
She laughed.
"I'll have to disagree with you on that."
He smiled.
"Well, whatever the case, I'm not giving up on her, and she's not giving up on Bell. Not to mention all the other girl's who're after him, at least two of whom are over-eager goddesses."
She laughed again, and his smile grew.
"Glad that I can get so many laughs out of you, you always did have a nice laugh."
She turned away to hide her blush.
"He's totally doing this on purpose," she swore.
"Thank you for the compliment," she said once she got control of herself. "However, I am confident that Aiz and Bell will find each other and from their union, something beautiful will come about."
"Careful Riveria, that almost makes you sound like you're ready to be a grandmother."
She smacked his arm, causing him to laugh.
"I'm not even a mother, being a grandmother is impossible," she huffed.
"Sorry, sorry," he said, still chuckling. "That is a shame though. The fact that no one's snatched you up and had a family with you. I'm sure your children would be lovely."
Her blush from earlier returned in full force and her grip on her staff threatened to turn it to splitters.
"Definitely. On. Purpose."
"Though I suppose," Achilles continued, not noticing her reaction as he fell into thought. "If Bell got together with both of them then we wouldn't have to fight."
That snapped Riveria out of her morbid thoughts.
"You want Bell to be with both of them?" she asked.
"I want him to be happy. I don't really care how as long as he is, and I'm not dumb enough to say that he wouldn't be very happy with Aiz, I just think he would, in the end, be the happiest with Haruhime. However, if he got with both of them that would, potentially, increase his happiness exponentially, assuming all parties were happy with the arrangement anyway."
"You think he should have a harem?"
"I'd hardly call two girls a harem, but," Achilles shrugged. "I think if anyone could pull it off, Bell could."
Riveria processed this for a moment, thinking on the possibility of a relationship containing Aiz, Bell, and Haruhime, and to her surprise, it seemed possible. However, this wasn't the only thought to come to mind.
"And what about you?" she asked.
"What about me?" he inquired back.
"Would you like a two woman, not-really-a-harem?"
She had meant it mostly as a joke, a quick jab before receiving a jab back, but she was surprised when Achilles's actually stopped, removed his pipe, and began to think.
"Hm, I don't think so," he began. "I'm not the kind of man who thinks that having two or more women to myself is necessarily a good idea. Disqualifying the fact and problem that is Freya with regards to myself, I doubt I'd want that kind of relationship for two reasons."
"You have my curiosity now. What are those two reasons?" she asked.
"Firstly: Exhaustion."
She couldn't even try to stop the laugh that came from that.
"Fair enough. And the second?"
"It wouldn't be fair to them," he explained. "Assuming I had two women that loved me and wanted to be with me, I feel it would be wrong because I wouldn't be able to give them the love they deserved, not only for loving me themselves, but for allowing me to receive love from two sources. As such, I feel it would be reprehensible of me to be in a relationship with two women, let alone more. However, if I could somehow ensure that I not only gave them all the love they deserved, but extra love as a sign of my gratitude for allowing the situation in the first place, then I suppose I would be open to such a relationship. That's why I believe Bell could pull it off. He has enough love to be able to fulfill that requirement for two, or perhaps even more, ladies."
"Well," Riveria said, a bit surprised by the in-depth explanation. "That's quite the mature answer."
"Yeah well, I suppose that's one upside to getting old," he replied.
"You're not getting old, Achilles," she said. "If anything you seem to be getting younger by the day."
"Says the immortal elf who probably doesn't even know what back pain is."
Another laugh rang through the air.
"Touche," she conceded.
Bell had finished explaining what happened between him and Riveria, luckily being able to scurt over the reason Riveria had visited in the first place without too much suspicion, leaving the entryway of Hearthfire Manor in complete silence, at least, until Tiona's eyes lit up.
"No. Frickin'. Way!" the amazon cried.
Finn, Gareth, and Welf all chuckled at that response, while the rest of Loki familia seemed to be attempting to reconcile what they had just been told.
"I can't believe it. Riveria-sama and…" Lefiya couldn't even manage to finish as she was so surprised by the revelation.
"Out of all the guys out there, she had a pick him?" Bete growled, clearly the least pleased by this new information.
"The heart wants what it wants," Gareth said.
"You two knew, didn't you?" Tione asked, signally towards Gareth and Finn.
Finn nodded.
"We confronted her about it after what happened in the Dungeon, though Gareth has apparently known the entire time."
"It was clear for anyone who was paying attention and didn't simply brush it off as ludicrous," the dwarf stated.
"Still, it's a bit weird to imagine them together," Tione stated, getting a few nods.
"I know this is a lot to take in," Bell said. "And I know my dad hasn't been the easiest to get along with recently-."
"That's the understatement of the year," Bete cut in.
Bell nodded, but pushed forward.
"Even so, I think the two of them would make each other happy. As such I'd like to ask for your help in bringing them together," he bowed. "Please aid me in seeing a relationship between Riveria and Achilles come to fruition."
The intensity of his request and the bow caught the Loki familia by surprise, but only for a second, after all, in the short time they had known the boy, they had come to understand that this kind of response was normal for him.
"No need for that, Bell-san," Finn said. "I don't think any of us would be adverse to seeing Riveria happy."
"Happy with him is another question," Bete growled lowly.
"Yeah! We're definitely going to help you, especially since it means I can tease her a whole lot!" Tiona cried.
"I'm not sure about her choice, but if he's the one she wants, I'll give her my support," Tione added.
"I guess I can help too. As long as he treats her right and leaves Aiz-san alone that is!" Lefiya added.
Bell stood back up, his eyes gleaming and smiling brightly.
"I'll help too."
He turned and found Aiz smiling softly at him.
"Both of them deserve happiness," she affirmed.
"Aiz-san."
The two suddenly got lost in their own little world, leaving everyone else to chuckle or growl as they recognized that Riveria and Achilles weren't the only ones moving closer to each other.
"Stop that!"
Bell and Aiz snapped back to reality just in time for Hestia to suddenly wrap herself around Bell's head, causing him to stumble around.
"H-Hestia-sama!" he cried, desperately trying to balance himself.
"Why are you staring all lovey-dovey at Aiz Wallen-whatisit, when you have me?!" the goddess cried.
"What?! Why should Bell-sama focus on you!" Lili cried, joining the fray and latching onto Bell.
Most everyone laughed at the sight before them, all the fear and tension from earlier having well and truly evaporated. The only ones who didn't were Bete, for his bad mood was still present, Ryuu and Haruhime as they both wished to join in themselves, and Aiz for she was far too preoccupied with a thought echoing through her mind.
"Lovey-dovey?"
"Alright, alright, I think we've embarrassed our familia enough for today," Welf said, pulling Lili off of Bell, while Mikoto pulled Hestia away, earning the gratitude of Bell.
Finn laughed.
"Nothing to be embarrassed about. Believe me, this doesn't even compare to some of the antics this lot gets up to on any given day."
"Captain!" Tione and Lefiya cried out, causing Gareth to laugh.
"Well," Bell said, having regained his footing. "Thank you for your support. I do know that things are tense with my dad right now, given everything that's happened recently, but I do think he'll make Riveria-sama happy."
"I do not doubt that," Finn returned.
"Then...um...why don't you all stay for breakfast? It's still quite early and it would be an honor to have you all as guests," Bell offered.
"Well…" Finn eyed the frothing goddess and the clearly displeased Lili wearily, though he was unable to stop himself from chuckling at seeing his would-be bride acting so unrestrained. However, his decision was made for him as the notable sound of a growling stomach cut through the air.
Everyone turned and found Aiz clutching her stomach, a small blush on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she said.
Bell blushed himself at seeing such an adorable reaction from the girl he had fallen for, before smiling brightly at the excuse she'd provided.
"That settles it then," he said.
"Whoo! Food! I'm starving!" Tiona cried.
"Don't you dare embarrass the captain by eating like an animal!" Tione demanded.
"You eat as much as me and are twice as messy!" her sister bit back.
"I am not!"
Finn sighed.
"I believe this proves my earlier point," he said.
There was a few laughs at that before they all made their way into the kitchen, where Haruhime, with the help of Bell, Mikoto, Welf, Lili, Ryuu, the amazon sisters, Lefiya, and Aiz herself, began to make breakfast. Bell tried to stop the members of Loki familia, but they insisted, pointing out that this would be a big meal and that the Hestia familia would need all the help they could get. That silenced Bell, not that he needed much encouragement once Aiz placed herself next to him and they began to work together, much to the chagrin of numerous members of both familias.
Finally, breakfast was ready and they all began to eat.
"This is great!" Tiona happily declared as she attacked her plate like a ravenous beast.
"I told you not to act like an animal!" Tione shouted.
Everyone was smiling or laughing and a sense of contentment fell over the familias as they ate their meals. Overall, had one not been aware of who they all were, they would have been forgiven for thinking it was just one big, colorful family.
"We're back!" came the voice of Achilles.
"We're in here!" Bell called.
A moment later Achilles and Riveria walked in and took in the sight before them.
"Well, don't you all look cosy?" Achilles commented.
"I figured everyone would be hungry and so asked them to stay for breakfast," the young rabbit explained.
Achilles nodded.
"As any good host would," the ex-captain replied.
"Room for two more?" Riveria asked, immediately getting an affirmative response.
"One more," Achilles stated. "I should go talk to Ouranous. I've kept him waiting long enough as it is."
"Surely there's time for breakfast?" Haruhime asked.
"Riveria got me something on our way to the shop, so that should hold me over," he said, holding up his hand.
"Did she now?" Finn asked, a sly smile on his face.
This was not missed by Riveria, who soon noticed that everyone seemed to be giving her looks now. Everyone, that is, but Bell, who seemed very intent on hiding his eyes at the moment.
Before she could make sense of that, Shakti stood up.
"Then I shall accompany you," she said.
"No, no. Eat your fill, I can go alone," Achilles said. "Besides, I suspect Royman's going to have a few words for me and I would not subject anyone to that torture, especially not so early in the morning."
A few people laughed and, after a moment, Shakti accepted his position and sat back down.
"Alright, I'll see you all soon," the Zeus captain said, waving goodbye once again and leaving the manor.
Once he was gone, numerous predatory eyes shifted to Riveria.
"So," Tiona said in a way that unnerved Riveria. "You and the Olympian, huh?"
Riveria's eyes widened and her head shot towards Bell, who was now vigorously playing with his food, hoping to Heaven that she didn't decide to curse him.
Achilles made his way down the street, smoking his pipe and processing all that had happened.
"Bell's going to be even more in love with her now, and based upon the way she acted it doesn't appear it'll be long before those two finally stop dancing around each other."
He sighed. While he was, of course, happy for Bell and would accept his relationship with Aiz readily enough, especially after seeing the goodness within her, he still felt Haruhime was the best choice and hoped that there was room in his son's heart for her.
"If there is room, then maybe that little idea of the three of them could actually work," he mused with a chuckle.
This, however, brought another thought to the forefront.
"What is it that Riveria can't tell me? If it's something to do with her familia I would understand and would immediately back off, but I don't think that's the case. It seemed more personal than that. Like it was something to do with her and," he took a moment to think. "Me, weirdly enough."
His mind began to turn and he thought on everything he'd observed, eventually landing on one consistent fact that had happened both times.
"She was blushing both times. Why would she be blushing? She barely ever blushes."
There was really only one answer to that question, and Achilles was no fool, so he realized it quite quickly. When he did, he actually stopped as his eyes widened.
"No. No she can't. That's ridiculous. This is Riveria for Heaven's sake. An elven princess. One of the most beautiful women in Orario, and we've been friends forever. She couldn't," he shook his head. "No, it's beyond ludicrous. She could do far better than me. No, it's something else, I'm just being a vain ass," he thought, before discarding the thought and continuing on his way.
He finally arrived at the Guild and proceeded inside, happy to find Eina already working at one of the desks.
"Good morning," he greeted.
Eina jumped upon noticing him, the events of the previous night fresh in her mind, but she quickly corrected herself and returned the greeting.
"Good morning, Achilles-san. How may I help you?"
"I was informed by Shakti that Ouranous himself wanted to speak with me about the events of last night."
"Ah yes, I was informed of that. Please wait here a moment while I go get my superior."
"Thank you."
Achilles waited patiently for Eina to return, and a few minutes later she did so, with Royman in tow.
Rolling his eyes at what was to come, Achilles made his way over.
"Royman."
"Achilles," the elf growled. "You caused me no shortage of headaches last night."
"And I'm sure you're about to give me one in return, but before you do, can you, at the very least, take me to see Ouranos? Apparently he wishes to speak with me on something."
"That 'something' is the lightning you released above the Pleasure district last night."
"Right, right." the former captain said in understanding. "Well, then best not keep him waiting."
Royman growled again, wanting nothing more than to punish the former captain, but knowing that Ouranos's orders were to be followed to the letter. As such, he signalled for Achilles to follow him and the two departed Eina and began their journey through the halls.
The journey was silent as neither felt like talking to the other, and luckily passed quickly.
"You will show the utmost respect," Royman warned.
"Of course."
The doors of the chamber were opened, and the two made their way inside.
"Achilles Caesar has arrived, Ouranos-sama," Royman said with a bow.
"Good. You may leave, Royman."
The elf bowed again and departed, leaving Achilles and Ouranos alone.
"So, I guess I'm in a bit of trouble, aren't I?"
If this was meant to be a joke, Ouranos was certainly not laughing.
Achilles sighed.
"I guess I'll start from the beginning," he said.
Slowly but surely, Achilles explained everything that had transpired leading up to his explosion of light, as well as explaining what followed. None of it had been easy for the father, and the distinct sound of crackling lightning was heard in the room, but he restrained himself and was finally able to calm down upon completing the story.
Ouranos had listened silently, taking it all in without comment or any show of emotion until Achilles finally finished.
"This matches the details that Finn Deimne and the others gave me last night. As such, I am able to finally make a verdict on your actions," the god stated.
Achilles bowed his head in acceptance of whatever the god of Orario deemed appropriate.
"Your actions were reckless and based upon anger, but it hardly seems right to punish a father for being enraged by the horrid treatment unjustly bestowed upon his son. As such, I order you, Achilles Caesar, former captain of the Zeus familia, the Olympian, to pay a fifty thousand valis fine to the Guild and to write a public apology to the public, which will then be displayed across the city. I will leave the contents of the apology up to you, but I expect the highest courtesy."
"That's...quite generous of you, Ouranos-sama. Thank you," Achilles responded, a bit surprised.
"It is what I deemed appropriate. Not only can I understand your situation, but Bell Cranel has been of great service to this city and to myself. I owe him a debt that is not easily repaid."
"You owe Bell a debt?"
Ouranos actually nodded.
"I do. I suspect, in time, you shall find out why."
"That's a bit cryptic, but I'm not about to complain after that light sentence."
"I understand. Thank you again," he said, bowing to the god who, with a nod, excused the ex-captain.
Achilles departed, leaving the elder god to his thoughts.
"How will Achilles respond to the Xenos when he learns of them? Even with Bell, can we be sure he will accept them and their dream? If he doesn't, what will we do?"
The god let out an uncharacteristic sigh.
"What do you think, Gaia?"
Achilles opened the door of Hearthfire Manor, and was prepared to call out, when the voice of Riveria suddenly rang through the halls.
"No! I am not delving into this matter anymore and I will certainly not be telling you of any dreams or...fantasies I may or may not be having!"
Confused, but interested, Achilles made his way back into the dining area and found a very red faced Riveria glaring at Tiona, who was smiling impishly at the older elf.
"Oh come on, Riveria. We're both girls, you can tell us," the amazon pushed.
"One: we are not alone, and two: absolutely not!"
"What's going on here?" Achilles asked, making his presence known.
Riveria practically jumped to the ceiling and turned to face him, her face burning like a raging inferno.
"Achilles...how much did you hear?" the elf asked.
"Not much. Something about not delving into some matter and something about dreams and fantasies."
Riveria was stuck in the terrible position of being both extremely grateful and horrified. On one hand, Achilles was not aware of exactly what, or who they were talking about, but the idea of him even knowing she had fantasies was enough to turn her blood to ice, let alone the idea of him asking her about said fantasies that were about the very questioner.
"Hehe, why don't you fill him in on what we were talking about, Riveria?" Tiona cut in, intent on forcing the issue, if not to force a confession than for sheer entertainment.
Riveria's eyes shot to the young amazon and promised one thing with perfect clarity.
"I. Will. Get. You."
"It's alright, I don't need to know."
Tiona and the others turned back to him in surprise.
"You don't?" Tiona asked, disappointment in her voice.
"Her thoughts, dreams, and certainly her fantasies are her own," Achilles responded. "If she wants to tell me something, she can, but I won't force her."
Riveria wasn't sure she had ever been so grateful to the Olympian. Had she been anyone else, she might have hugged him. Instead, she took a deep breath and smiled.
"Thank you, Achilles. I appreciate that."
"Of course," he returned.
"Boo," Tiona said, with a few others around the table voicing their displeasure as well.
What none of them knew was that Achilles had not cut off the conversation simply out of a sense of politeness. In fact, the main reason was because of what he had thought on his way to the Guild.
"The fantasies are not about you, don't even think it! For the love of the gods, you've called her 'sister' before, you perverted wretch. You can't go from that to wondering if she's having naughty thoughts about you!"
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as his thoughts got out of control.
"Are you alright?"
He turned to see Riveria looking at him with concern.
"Fine. I guess I'm just more tired than I thought I was," he said, trying his best to sound convincing, while also forcing down any thoughts with regards to the elf before him that he deemed inappropriate.
"Well you should get your rest," she said.
"Before you do that, what happened with Ouranos?" Hestia asked.
"Ah, right. He wanted to know about what happened last night with regards to the lightning. I suppose that makes sense as I likely scared half the city with that little light show."
"Did he punish you?" Bell asked with concern.
"Minorly. A fifty thousand valis fine and an apology letter addressed to the public. Not so bad."
Relief washed over the Hestia familia.
"That's good to hear," Hestia stated.
"Indeed. Now, if no one minds, I'm going to go to bed. I'm in desperate need of a nap."
"Sounds like a good idea," Riveria said.
"Sleep well, Dad," Bell called, followed by a few others chiming in.
"Thank you. Goodnight or...good afternoon. I don't know," Achilles said, throwing up his hands.
He was about to leave when the gate bell rang.
"You've got to be kidding me," Achilles said, hanging his head.
"It's alright, might just be someone looking to apply for the familia," Haruhime said optimistically.
"Given who the last applicant was, I can't say that's necessarily a good thing," the Olympian countered.
A few people grimaced and Bete even growled. Aiz, seeing the disheartened, fear-tinged look in his eyes, went over to him and squeezed his hand.
"No one will ever hurt you like that again. I promise."
"Aiz," Bell said. Though he was a bit stunned by the power of her voice he could not help but smile at her. "Thank you."
Achilles watched the scene for a moment, recognizing just how close the two were to finally coming together. His eyes turned to Haruhime and the sadness in her eyes broke his heart.
"Damn it all, why can't life be simple?" he bemoaned.
"Well, might as well find out who it is," he said, hoping to pull everyone away from the display between his son and his beloved.
Departing the room, Achilles made his way to the entrance and exited the manor. The moment he did so and saw who it was, he cursed.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Standing at the gate to the manor was none other than Ottar.
"What, in all that is good are you doing here?" the Olympian asked the King.
"I have come to deliver two items from my lady."
"Well then, you may pass those items along to me and I will see them delivered," Achilles responding, giving Ottar the fakest smile possible.
He was met with a firm stare and silence.
"I am to deliver them personally," the boaz said.
"Of course you are," the ex-captain said, his head dropping again. "Fine. Follow me."
The two level sevens made their way back inside and it was fair to say that Ottar's arrival was both unexpected and not particularly desired.
"Ottar. What're you doing here?" Finn asked.
"I am here to deliver two items from my lady."
"Well we're here now. What are they?" Achilles asked, wanting his former disciple out as quickly as possible.
'The first is a letter to Bell Cranel."
"A letter? For me?" Bell asked, stepping forward.
"Last night my lady learned of what transpired between you and Phryne Jamil. She wished to comfort you after learning of it, but knew her presence might upset some present and so decided on the next best thing," Ottar said holding out the letter.
"Does the whole damn city know what happened at this point?" Achilles internally growled, not pleased that what happened to his son was apparently being passed around like everyday gossip.
Bell eyed the envelope for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the situation, before finally taking it from the Freya captain.
"Thank you. Please thank Freya-sama for me as well. She didn't need to do this and I appreciate her kindness."
Ottar gave one of his nearly invisible smiles before nodding.
"I shall pass the message along. The second gift is for Sanjouno Haruhime."
"Me?" Haruhime asked, clearly confused. "Whatever for?"
"My lady was informed that it was you who saved Bell from Phryne Jamil. Is that incorrect?"
"Well...no. I knew where she had taken him. But it was the right thing to do. I don't need anything for doing the right thing," she said.
"Even so, my lady wished to show her immense gratitude and thus asked me to give you this."
Ottar pulled out what had to be one of the most stunning and down right expensive pieces of jewelry in all of Orario. A gold necklace that shined like the sun yet appeared as light as rays of sunshine. Yet the gold was not the most impressive part. At the bottom, held within a oval of gold, carved with foxes dancing around it, was the most beautiful emerald any of them had ever seen. An emerald larger than a valis coin and that, upon inspection, everyone realized was the same color as Haruhime's eyes.
"It's...beautiful," the renard said. "I...I can't accept this! This is too much!"
"It is no such thing. You saved my lady's beloved and showed yourself to be a person of quality. This is my lady recognizing that quality. As such, you must accept it."
Stunned, and unsure what to, Haruhime looked around, her eyes asking those around her for an answer. Finally, they landed on Bell who, after looking into her eyes for a moment, walked forward and addressed Ottar.
"May I?" he asked, signally to the necklace.
Ottar nodded and handed him the necklace. Bell gently took the band of gold and green, and walked around Haruhime.
"Bell-sama?"
He didn't say a word as he unclasped the necklace, brought it around her neck and reclasped it.
"There," he said, smiling. "It looks very beautiful on you."
Haruhime's face burst with color and her tail began to wag uncontrollably.
"T-Thank you, B-Bell-sama."
While everyone was focused on the exchange, Achilles focused in on Bell, noticing something interesting.
"Those eyes," he thought as he took note of the affection Bell was directing at Haruhime. "Oh," he thought as he realized what he was seeing and smiled. "The battle's not over yet."
Little did he know that he wasn't the only one to notice this affection, as the King himself had taken note of it and he too, was smiling.
"My lady was right."
"That is all my lady requested of me," Ottar said, bringing everyone back. "As such, I will now depart."
"I'll escort you out," Achilles said, not trusting the boaz for a moment.
"That's quite the necklace," Riveria said, going up to Haruhime.
"I-I really don't think I deserve it. I j-just wanted to help Bell-sama."
"And that's precisely why you deserve it, I think," the elf replied immediately.
"You did save me, Haruhime," Bell said. "I'll never be able to repay you for that, but I'm glad that someone recognized it and rewarded you for it. I just wish it was me."
"Bell-sama," the renard shook her head. "You've more than repaid me. You saved me from Ishtar familia. You gave me a home. If anything, it's I who will never be able to repay you!" she declared.
"Then, I guess we'll just have to call it even," Bell stated with a smile.
Haruhime was more than happy to agree to that and smiled back.
"Seems fair to me," Achilles said, having seen Ottar off.
"Grrr, the mood in here's getting weird again. Bell-kun, what's in that letter?!" Hestia demanded.
"Wha? I can't show you that, Hestia-sama."
"What do you mean you can't!? Freya sent you a letter and I want to see what it says!" the loli goddess said, trying to nab the letter.
"That would be rude, Hestia-sama!" Bell said, fighting to keep in with him.
"Rude? Rude!? What are you hiding Bell-kun?!"
"Nothing!"
"Give me that letter!"
As the two fought over the letter, Achilles went over to Haruhime and looked over the necklace.
"That is quite something. Wouldn't be surprised if it's worth more than most familia," he commented, causing Haruhime's blush to return.
"It is quite dazzling. I'm not sure I'll ever feel I deserve it, but it was quite generous of Freya-sama."
"Indeed," Achilles agreed. "May I?" he asked, signally that he wished to look it over.
"Oh. Of course," she replied.
Gently taking it in his hands, and making sure not to tung on it and thus hurt Haruhime, he began to look it over.
The craftwork was truly magnificent. The skill of one of the best smiths in Orario, that was no doubt. The engravings within the gold were intricate and stunning, taking a level of skill few of even the most dedicated smiths would ever reach. The emerald was also quite the sight to behold. Utterly flawless and a perfect match to Haruhime's eyes, it was as if her very soul had been replicated and placed within the emerald.
Turning it over to see the back, Achilles froze.
"No."
Engraved on the back, in letters just large enough to see, was a personal message from Freya.
To my dearly beloved Haruhime.
"She's…" Achilles looked up at Haruhime. "She wants Haruhime as well."
And done! Whew, another bites the dust! Can you believe it?! Twenty chapters, and we aren't even close to being done. In fact, if everything goes to plan, the next two chapters should be quite exciting, with one of the originally planned chapters finally coming to fruition. A chapter I've been waiting to write since before I officially started this story. But, you'll have to wait a bit longer before we get there.
Anyway, with that all said, I do hope you enjoyed this one. I know there are things I miss and things that some disagree with, but in the end, I do really hope you enjoy the story as knowing I'm making people smile is one of the best parts of being a writer. So, please tell me what you think, point out any issues, and overall, share your thoughts. I was pretty concerned I was making Riveria pretty out of character without proper explanation, but please tell me your thoughts on the matter. With that, thank you very much for reading and I'll see you all next time. Bye for now.